The invention relates to a heald (heddle) shaft for weaving machines.
Weaving machines comprise heald shafts, said shafts bearing healds. The healds are disposed to guide warp threads and to form sheds. As a rule, the healds are accommodated on two spaced apart, parallel heald mounting rails, which, in turn are held on shaft rods. The shaft rods are part of a rectangular frame that is referred to as the heald shaft. In order to form sheds, said heald shaft is moved rapidly up and down. The shaft rods that are horizontally arranged during use support the individual heald mounting rails and, as a rule, their ends are connected via lateral supports. The lateral supports may be removed for the installation and deinstallation of the healds. However, as a rule, this is done after the heald shaft has been taken out of the weaving machine. To do so, said heald shaft must be separated from a corresponding drive device and pulled out of its guides. However, this requires an appropriately releasable coupling between the heald shaft and the drive device. In addition, the guides must be set up so as to release the heald shaft as needed, so that said heald shaft may be pulled out.
Furthermore, for example from document DE 196 07 532 A1, a concept has been known, which allows the heald shaft to remain in the weaving machine when the healds are replaced. Only the heald mounting rails with the healds are removed. The heald mounting rails are releasably connected to the shaft rods. However, these connections are critical at higher operating speeds of the weaving machine. In addition, the transport of two heald mounting rails with healds mounted thereto represents somewhat of a problem due to the considerable flexibility of the heald mounting rails alone. In addition, the overall system consisting of two heald mounting rails with healds seated on them is unwieldy.
Considering this, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved heald shaft and an improved weaving machine.